Claims

1. A communication system, comprising a gateway apparatus, a plurality of terminal devices and a service providing server for providing services directly to said terminal devices through an access network by means of a media plane terminated directly in a terminal device from the service providing server whereina) said service providing server comprises a service memory for storing one or more services to be provided to said terminal devices, and at least one control protocol device of a first type providing first type control data in association with said one or more services said gateway device;b) wherein said terminal devices each comprise a service processor for processing the service provided by said service providing server through said access network and a control protocol device of a second type, different to said first type and providing second type control data in association with the execution of the service by said service processor to said gateway device; and whereinc) said gateway apparatus comprises one or more service-specific mapping devices for terminating in the gateway apparatus a control plane separated from the media plane by exchanging first type control data with said service providing server and second type control data with said terminal devices, whereinsaid service-specific mapping devices provide to said service providing server first type control data on the basis of second type control data received from said terminal devices and receive first type control data from said first type control protocol device of the service providing server; andsaid service-specific mapping devices provide to said terminal devices second type control data on the basis of said first type control data received from said service providing server and receive said second type control data from said second type control protocol device of said terminal devices; and whereinsaid second type control data constitute a second type service request and said service specific mapping device is adapted to send as first type control data a first type enquiry request enquiring the service providing server whether said access network A has enough resources to provide said service to the terminal device; whereinsaid service providing server MS is adapted to send as first type control data an acknowledgement message indicating that there are enough resources for the service provision if the service providing service establishes that there enough resources, and is adapted to send as first type control data a negative acknowledgement message indicating that there are not enough resources for the service provision if the service providing server establishes that there not enough resources.

2. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said service-specific mapping devices comprise at least one service-specific mapping device running an IPTV proxy application.

3. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said terminal device comprises a Set-Top-Box including as service processor an MPEG2 decoder, said service providing server comprises in said service memory as service a Video on Demand service, said service-specific mapping devices comprise at least one service-specific mapping device running a Real Time Streaming Protocol proxy application and said control protocol is Real Time Streaming Protocol, and said resources are the bandwidth of lines in said access network.

4. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gateway apparatus and said terminal devices are part of a customer premises network.

5. The communication system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said gateway apparatus is located in a residential gateway of said customer premises network.

6. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gateway apparatus receives as said second type first control data from said terminal device an Electronic Program Guide download request and said second type control data provided by said gateway apparatus comprises a personalized Electronic Program Guide.

7. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gateway apparatus comprises in a memory said user identity.

8. The communication system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said user identity is stored on a plug-in inserted into said gateway apparatus or on an Universal Integrated Circuit card inserted into a memory of said gateway apparatus.

9. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said terminal device is one or more selected from the group comprising a set-top-box, a controller of a heating system, a surveillance system in the home, a camera or a central home controller of an intelligent house.

10. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first type of said control data is Session Initiation Protocol and said second type of said control data is one of HTTP and Universal Plug and Play.

11. The communication system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said gateway apparatus receives from said service providing device as first type control data said downloaded Electronic Program Guide of first type and converts a format of said received Electronic Program Guide into a format supported by said terminal device.

12. The communication system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said gateway apparatus invokes a media session establishment between the terminal device and said service providing device.

13. The communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said media session establishment is a unicast media session establishment.

14. The communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said media session establishment is a multicast media session establishment.

15. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gateway apparatus receives as first type control data an Electronic Program Guide update message.

16. The communication system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gateway apparatus receives as first type control data an event trigger message and sends as second type control data a media session establishment message to said terminal device on the basis of said event trigger message.

17. A gateway apparatus of a communication system including a plurality of terminal devices and a service providing server for providing services directly to said terminal devices through an access network by means of a media plane terminated directly in a terminal device from the service providing server, wherein said service providing server comprises a service memory for storing one or more services to be provided to said terminal devices, and at least one control protocol device of a first type providing first type control data in association with said one or more services to said gateway device,wherein said terminal devices each comprise a service processor for processing the service provided by said service providing server through said access network A and a control protocol device of a second type, different to said first type and providing second type control data in association with the execution of the service by said service processor to said gateway device, comprising:a) one or more service-specific mapping devices for terminating in the gateway apparatus a control plane separated from the media plane by exchanging first type control data with said service providing server and second type control data with said second type terminal devices, whereinsaid service-specific mapping devices provide to said service providing server first type control data on the basis of second type control data received from said terminal devices and receive first type control data from said first type control protocol device of the service providing server;said service-specific mapping devices provide to said terminal devices second type control data on the basis of said first type control data received from said service providing server and receive said second type control data from said second type control protocol device of said terminal devices; and whereinsaid second type control data constitute a second type service request and said service specific mapping device is adapted to send as first type control data a first type enquiry request enquiring the service providing server whether said access network A has enough resources to provide said service to the terminal device; whereinsaid service providing server is adapted to send as first type control data an acknowledgement message indicating that there are enough resources for the service provision if the service providing service establishes that there enough resources, and is adapted to send as first type control data a negative acknowledgement message indicating that there are not enough resources for the service provision if the service providing server establishes that there not enough resources.

18. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said service-specific mapping devices comprise at least one service-specific mapping device running an IPTV proxy application.

19. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said terminal device comprises a Set-Top-Box including as service processor a MPEG2 decoder, said service providing server comprises in said service memory as service a Video on Demand service, said service-specific mapping devices comprise at least one service-specific mapping device running a Real Time Streaming Protocol RTSP proxy application and said control protocol is Real Time Streaming Protocol, and said resources are the bandwidth of lines in said access network.

20. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said gateway apparatus and said terminal devices are part of a customer premises network.

21. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 20, wherein said gateway apparatus is located in a residential gateway of said customer premises network.

22. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said gateway apparatus receives as said second type first control data from said terminal device an Electronic Program Guide download request and said second type control data provided by said gateway apparatus comprises a personalized Electronic Program Guide.

23. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said gateway apparatus comprises in a memory said user identity.

24. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein said user identity is stored on a plug-in inserted into said gateway apparatus or on an Universal Integrated Circuit card inserted into a memory of said gateway apparatus.

25. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said terminal device is one or more selected from the group comprising a set-tap-box, a controller of a heating system, a surveillance system in the home, a camera or a central home controller of an intelligent house.

26. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said first type of said control data is Session Initiation Protocol SIP and said second type of said control data is one of HTTP and Universal Plug and Play.

27. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said gateway apparatus receives from said service providing device as first type control data said downloaded Electronic Program Guide of first type and converts a format of said received Electronic Program Guide into a format supported by said terminal device.

28. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 27, wherein said gateway apparatus invokes a media session establishment between the terminal device and said service providing device.

29. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 28, wherein said media session establishment is a unicast media session establishment.

30. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 28, wherein said media session establishment is a multicast media session establishment.

31. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein said gateway apparatus receives as first type control data an Electronic Program Guide update message.

32. The gateway apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said gateway apparatus receives as first type control data an event trigger message and sends as second type control data a media session establishment message to said terminal device on the basis of said event trigger message.

33. A communication method between a gateway apparatus, a plurality of terminal devices and a service providing server of a communication system for providing services directly to said terminal devices through an access network by means of a media plane terminated directly in a terminal device from the service providing server,wherein said service providing server comprises a service memory for storing one or more services to be provided to said terminal devices, and at least one control protocol device of a first type providing first type control data in association with said one or more services to said gateway device,wherein said terminal devices, each comprise a service processor for processing the service provided by said service providing server through said access network and a control protocol device of a second type, different to said first type, and including second type control data in association with the execution of the service by said service processor, and whereinsaid gateway apparatus comprises one or mere service-specific mapping devices for terminating in the gateway apparatus a control plane separated from the media plane by exchanging first type control data with said service providing server and second type control data with said terminal devices, comprising the following steps:providing from at least one of said terminal devices R to said gateway apparatus second type control data;providing from said service-specific mapping devices of said gateway apparatus to said service providing server first type control data on the basis of said second type control data provided from said terminal device;providing first type control data from said first type control protocol device of said service providing server to said gateway apparatus providing from said service-specific mapping devices to said terminal device second type control data on the basis of said first type control data provided from said service providing server;said service specific mapping device sends as first type control data a first type f enquiry request enquiring the service providing server whether said access network has enough resources to provide said service to the terminal device wherein said second type control data constitute a second type service request; andsaid service providing server sends as first type control data an acknowledgement message indicating that there are enough resources for the service provision if the service providing service establishes that there enough resources, and sends as first type control data a negative acknowledgement message indicating that there are not enough resources for the service provision if the service providing server establishes that there not enough resources.